Organization Theory : A Strategic Approach

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Clearly written and well-organized, this book takes astrategic systemsapproach that focuses on how managers structure and operate organizations so that they are efficient and effective.With an emphasis on the decision-making processes of managers, the topics covered in this book include a brief history of organization theory; the structure and design of organizations; organizational goals and effectiveness; the global environment of organizations; managing the environment; organizational technology; organizational size, growth, and life cycles; governance and control; culture; decision making; power and politics; innovation, strategic change, and learning; and includes integrative case studies.For organizational managers and executives.

I. INTRODUCTION.

1. Organization Theory and the Manager. 2. Structure and Design—Basic Organizational Building Blocks.

In the Preface to the fifth edition we wrote that a basic fact of organizational life is that things change. We did not realize at that time how much things would change, not only in the world of organizations and management, but also in the world of higher education. The electronic information age is truly upon us. This new edition is consistent in both theme and content with many of the changing nature of organizations and management today. While we made extensive changes to this text, the strategic focus and the theoretical frameworks presented in this sixth edition can be directly traced through the previous five editions.The material in this text is intended to be a primer in organization theory for upper-division undergraduate and introductory-level MBA students--the future managers and leaders of organizations. The sixth edition continues the reengineering begun in the previous edition. The tone and direction are focused on managerial application--how the student as a potential future manager can use the knowledge of organization theory to be a better manager and organization member. The sixth edition ofOrganization Theory: A Strategic Approachcontinues to present a balance of theory, research, and practice. Theory and research are necessary to provide coherence, certainty, and predictability in an otherwise incoherent, uncertain, and unpredictable world. However, in presenting theory and research, we have maintained a belief that they should provide practical value to the inhabitants of organizations--the managers and members of organizations. To accomplish this balance, we have provided numerous examples from organizations to illustrate the theories, concepts, and research findings throughout the text.The changes in this sixth edition are extensive. We continue working to improve readability and increase emphasis on practical application. We have drawn on the experience of many successful old-line and new high-tech firms to give a broad cross-section of examples. Updated cases begin and end each chapter. Numerous "real life" examples are spread throughout the chapters. The clustering of chapters has been revised to enhance the logical flow of material. The thirteen chapters are divided into four parts: "Introduction," "The Context of Organizations," "Managing the Organizational Context," and "Organizational Processes." We have created greater integration among the topics and issues covered in the text so that the reader can more easily relate material introduced in early chapters to material covered later.Part I of the text contains Chapters 1 and 2. These two chapters provide the basic framework for the text. Chapter 1 provides a historical background for understanding the development of organization theory, introduces a variety of theoretical perspectives, and presents the strategic approach. Chapter 1 also presents the subject of organizational structure--the basic building blocks of the organization. In this chapter, we also introduce the contingency theory framework for organizations that is central to the strategic approach. To understand the appropriate form of organization (structure and design) one must understand the conditions or context in which the organization exists. Chapter 2 presents the basic elements of structure so that the reader can think about how structure should vary with differing contextual conditions.Part II introduces the contextual dimensions: organizational goals, environment, technology, size and life cycle. From a contingency perspective, these are the factors that must be considered in making judgments about structure. The examination of goals in Chapter 3 has been expanded to include a discussion of ethics and ethical goals. In light of the many troubling events in the business world lately, we felt that a discussion of ethics was especially important. Although the environment has been a central focus of previous e